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... and he cannot lie

Gordon Ramsay’s cooking up another restaurant, and some people are not quite sure how he’s going to pull this one off.

The celebrity chef and restaurateur announced earlier this month that he will be opening the restaurant Lucky Cat in London’s Grosvenor Square. The establishment is described as “a brand-new authentic Asian Eating House,” with chef Ben Orpwood, who served as executive chef at Asian restaurant and bar Sexy Fish, behind the menu.

But many people aren’t exactly happy with the chef’s claim to deliver “authentic” Asian cuisine at the restaurant, especially without an Asian chef at the helm.

I like you @GordonRamsay but how are you gonna open an “authentic” asian restaurant without an ASIAN CHEF?
— Vivienne 🍑 (@vivienne_mnd) February 5, 2019​

I would love for @GordonRamsay to actually NOT join the ranks of the many white people that are capitalizing on Asian culture without putting equal effort into giving Asians seats at the table of equity. https://t.co/A6zIBkJAes
— Joanna Carpenter (@thejoannac) February 4, 2019​

According to Ramsay’s restaurant group, the restaurant will be a late-night lounge, taking cues from the “the drinking dens of 1930s Tokyo and the Far East.” (And no, that doesn’t sound like it’s exoticizing Asia at all. 😒) The restaurant’s name, the press release claims, keeps with the “authenticity of the concept” and “takes inspiration from Asian culture where the ‘lucky cat’ is a talisman that is believed to attract good luck and fortune.”

The cat the press release refers to is actually called a Maneki-neko and has roots in Japan’s Edo period.

“I can’t wait to open the doors at Lucky Cat and bring a new flavour of Asian food and culture to Mayfair,” Ramsay said in the release. “I can honestly say there will not be a bad seat in the house — every table will have a unique view and each guest will come away having experienced something sensational — whether it be the phenomenal menu, the amazing service or the stunning look and feel.”

Jeez Ramsey is known to be an amazing chef let the man cook some goddamn food without turning this into identity politics. Food is Food and people love to eat foods from all over the world. Food is not democrat or republican, its not left or right, its not racist its F'n food.

Member

Wait, what's that? This rule only applies to white people? Anti-Whiteness? Oh no, there's no such thing as that at all.

What a serious crock of shit "cultural appropriation" is, I mean I can see how it must have started, white girls getting Asian letter tattoos and not knowing what they mean, white guys getting Polynesian tribal tattoos and not even knowing what Polynesian culture is.

In other words when a white person doesn't have a genuine understanding or appreciation of a foreign culture but adopts something from it because it's trendy and they think it makes them look cooler.

Steven Seagal is the ultimate example of that, the dude went from pretending to be Asian, then from New Orleans, to now pretending to be Russian, not because he ever cared about these cultures but because he thought it made him look cooler.

But because we live in an anti-white culture, it didn't take long for it to evolve into meaning a white person should never under any circumstance appreciate or participate in a "person of color" culture, it's got nothing to do with genuineness anymore, which is total racist bullshit.

Member

Wait, what's that? This rule only applies to white people? Anti-Whiteness? Oh no, there's no such thing as that at all.

What a serious crock of shit "cultural appropriation" is, I mean I can see how it must have started, white girls getting Asian letter tattoos and not knowing what they mean, white guys getting Polynesian tribal tattoos and not even knowing what Polynesian culture is.

In other words when a white person doesn't have a genuine understanding or appreciation of a foreign culture but adopts something from it because it's trendy and they think it makes them look cooler.

Steven Seagal is the ultimate example of that, the dude went from pretending to be Asian, then from New Orleans, to now pretending to be Russian, not because he ever cared about these cultures but because he thought it made him look cooler.

But because we live in an anti-white culture, it didn't take long for it to evolve into meaning a white person should never under any circumstance appreciate or participate in a "person of color" culture, it's got nothing to do with genuineness anymore, which is total racist bullshit.

MembeR

Wow, those Twitter folks are a bunch of racists. Who in their right mind associates "authentic" food with a person of the matching race making it? I can't think of a single food critic who would rate it that way.

Member

If they is claimed to be authentic Asian food and they end up serving up-scaled versions of General Tso's chicken or "fusion" anything then by all means complain, that's a case of a broken promise.

If the restaurant does the research and properly uses appropriate ingredients and techniques, then it shouldn't matter who makes the dish. In fact, some of the best Chinese food I've had was made by some white girl I knew in college because her appreciation and passion for Asian cuisine made her focus on details that native chefs might not care about as much.

I can picture a Yelp review praising everything, but then commenting that because they serve water with ice that it isn't really authentic Asian so 0/10 and Gordon Ramsey is a alt-right enabler.

... and he cannot lie

And its Gordon Ramsey. Its not like we are talking about some random person who burns toast and can't even boil water. This guy is a world renowned cook. I think he might know a thing or two about cooking and restaurants.

The last thing that matters in food is the color of the cook. Only 2 things matter, taste, and you won't die from eating it.

Member

Wow, those Twitter folks are a bunch of racists. Who in their right mind associates "authentic" food with a person of the matching race making it? I can't think of a single food critic who would rate it that way.

Here in the Toronto GTA there's a ton of Chinese restaurants. Then when you get a glimpse of the kitchen as the doors open and see what's going on, half the kitchen are Indian looking guys cooking. WTF? lol

Member

I agree that anyone is more than capable of cooking whatever type of cuisine that they wish to excel at, given the proper experience and training. Caucasian people can make excellent Japanese food and Chinese people can make excellent Italian food. The outrage mob here can go F themselves here, as in most other cases.

Putting that aside though, I do have some level of personal bias when I go out to a restaurant to eat. I'd be lying if I said that I feel particularly excited when I walk into a _____________ restaurant, expecting authentic food and I see a lineup of chefs that do not represent that particular culture. I'm happy to be proven wrong and let the product speak for itself, but we should acknowledge the fact that not everyone has the expertise of a Gordon Ramsay, nor would that be a realistic expectation.

I think it's natural for there to be a desire to see a person from a particular culture cook that same type of food in a restaurant environment. In my mind, I attribute it to a greater likelihood that they grew up raised in a traditional household with that same cuisine. Obviously this is not the case 100% of the time, but all stereotypes are true to some degree.

Member

I agree that anyone is more than capable of cooking whatever type of cuisine that they wish to excel at, given the proper experience and training. Caucasian people can make excellent Japanese food and Chinese people can make excellent Italian food. The outrage mob here can go F themselves here, as in most other cases.

Putting that aside though, I do have some level of personal bias when I go out to a restaurant to eat. I'd be lying if I said that I feel particularly excited when I walk into a _____________ restaurant, expecting authentic food and I see a lineup of chefs that do not represent that particular culture. I'm happy to be proven wrong and let the product speak for itself, but we should acknowledge the fact that not everyone has the expertise of a Gordon Ramsay, nor would that be a realistic expectation.

I think it's natural for there to be a desire to see a person from a particular culture cook that same type of food in a restaurant environment. In my mind, I attribute it to a greater likelihood that they grew up raised in a traditional household with that same cuisine. Obviously this is not the case 100% of the time, but all stereotypes are true to some degree.

Member

I agree that anyone is more than capable of cooking whatever type of cuisine that they wish to excel at, given the proper experience and training. Caucasian people can make excellent Japanese food and Chinese people can make excellent Italian food. The outrage mob here can go F themselves here, as in most other cases.

Putting that aside though, I do have some level of personal bias when I go out to a restaurant to eat. I'd be lying if I said that I feel particularly excited when I walk into a _____________ restaurant, expecting authentic food and I see a lineup of chefs that do not represent that particular culture. I'm happy to be proven wrong and let the product speak for itself, but we should acknowledge the fact that not everyone has the expertise of a Gordon Ramsay, nor would that be a realistic expectation.

I think it's natural for there to be a desire to see a person from a particular culture cook that same type of food in a restaurant environment. In my mind, I attribute it to a greater likelihood that they grew up raised in a traditional household with that same cuisine. Obviously this is not the case 100% of the time, but all stereotypes are true to some degree.

Member

Also can we please establish that these are not Asian people complaining but mostly Asian Americans/Europeans who have their head to far into their own asses and believe that they represent Asian Culture. Actual Asian people do not even care one bit about it.

Member

Imagine being such a racists that you demand only certain races are allowed to cook certain dishes or dress in a specific way, sharing cultures was never a issue and always a goal but suddenly you have absolute idiots losing their minds over it.

Gold Member

Also can we please establish that these are not Asian people complaining but mostly Asian Americans/Europeans who have their head to far into their own asses and believe that they represent Asian Culture. Actual Asian people do not even care one bit about it.

Member

I would be proud if I were Asian. He’s one of the best chefs in the world and has a high level of respect for your cuisine. I say this as a chef. But hey it’s 2019, people feel some kinda way. In these type situations I usually ask the Asian people I know, only a few through work and art and see how they feel about it.

Member

Authentic Asian is an oxymoron and a nonsensical buzzword. What type of food is Asian food? Sushi, Orange chicken, Patai, Korean BBQ? The words ethnicity + "X" itself has no meaning because it does not ascribe the nationality, which defines the cultural and identity of the food's origin. Imagine if somewhere in Asian someone open a restaurant called Authentic Caucasian food. What type of food are they serving? Apple pie, beef wellington, pretzels, escargot, haggis?

Gold Member

Authentic Asian is an oxymoron and a nonsensical buzzword. What type of food is Asian food? Sushi, Orange chicken, Patai, Korean BBQ? The words ethnicity + "X" itself has no meaning because it does not ascribe the nationality, which defines the cultural and identity of the food's origin. Imagine if somewhere in Asian someone open a restaurant called Authentic Caucasian food. What type of food are they serving? Apple pie, beef wellington, pretzels, escargot, haggis?

Member

Authentic Asian is an oxymoron and a nonsensical buzzword. What type of food is Asian food? Sushi, Orange chicken, Patai, Korean BBQ? The words ethnicity + "X" itself has no meaning because it does not ascribe the nationality, which defines the cultural and identity of the food's origin. Imagine if somewhere in Asian someone open a restaurant called Authentic Caucasian food. What type of food are they serving? Apple pie, beef wellington, pretzels, escargot, haggis?